Random Pics!

More Luau Pictures!

The Sunday Luau

We had Sunday service at the church and Mike N. gave a great message. The people there were open to ministry and a lot of prayers (and tears) were shared during the service. Hano blessed the team by giving the tithe message and we were touched. We performed the sign dance (I Need A Saviour). After the service, we ran out to the market to prepare for the Luau. We made spam musubi and Hawaiian style poke. The luau was a big success and we got to fellowship with the church members. There were two little girls who kept following uncle Wes around and they became my friends! Such a blessing! (Their names were Nozomi and Airi, which means "hope" and "love and truth")

Brother Daryl (Hee) skyped in on us a few times and helped our team to learn some new songs (Hukilau) and some other excercises. Might as well just come with us next time? LOL Another blessing to the team!

Friday 10/29/10

We woke up at 5:00 am. Mike Magee made the coffee as usual and we made fried rice for breakfast. We also had some fresh bananas and bread. Mercedes made a great welcome sign for the retreat and she was a blessing to us.

Pastor Kent gave a great message about being a leader. Leadership is about "being" and not necessarily "doing". Our love for the lord will define our ability to lead. If your heart is not right, then your leadership won't be either. A leader must be reliable. The men took in the message and we got back into small groups to talk some more and to pray for each other. Some of us gave testimonies. Brian's testimony was powerful, but if you want details, you need to ask Brian. I believe that the retreat truly impacted the lives of the Japanese men. They seem to be more open and trusting that we are truly their brothers in Christ. The retreat ended at 1:30 and we had some time to reflect and rest.

We went to dinner at an all you can eat Shabu shabu restaurant. I think the restaurant has banned Magee san from coming back. LOL.  We made some new friends.  Pastor Carey from Okinawa and Takahide and Ai Tanaka.   The food was awesome and we later went for some soft serve (surprise surprise). The night came to an end with some of the church members practicing worship with our worship team. Truly a thing of beauty!

Thursday 10/28/10

We woke up at 5:00 am and had breakfast. Magee San made a stir fry with thinly sliced pork and and vegetables. I also scrambled some eggs and it was a great start to a beautiful day.

We caught the train and went to see the Toyota Museum. Toyota was started as a textile manufacturer and later started making cars just prior to 1936. There was a lot of cool stuff there and we got to see a robot that plays the trumpet and some other technology developed by Toyota. Some old classic cars were also on display like a Corona and a Celica.  We later went to see Nagoya Castle. Another great work of art in Japan. And yes of course, we enjoyed soft serve at the snack shop.

The retreat began that evening and we made chicken stew for the men. Most of the team pitched in to help make the stew and it turned out to be a hearty treat.

Pastor Willie Gonzales taught about the cost of discipleship. The message was in line with Pastor Guy's teaching.

We had a small group discussion. From last year (2009 retreat). the men from Japan have been forming small groups and meeting to study the Bible and to fellowship. I suggested that they can also meet to do other activities such as golf, bowling, going to the movies or just out for a meal. The men were open to sharing and discussing. A big change from the previous year. I think a breakthru truly occured since the 2009 mission.

Wednesday, 10/27/10

The team arrived at the airport at about 9:00 am. We had a meal at Burger King and enoyed some whoppers. We eventually went to the gate at the international terminal and we did some worship there. At 11:30 we said a prayer and we boarded the plane just before noon. The plane ride was long but the food was good. They served hamburger curry and it is "oishi".

We landed in Nagoya at about 4:00 pm (Japan time) and we caught the train to Kami Otai train station and got to the church just after 5:00 pm. We went to Nagomiya retaurant and had dinner. After that the team went to the mall to pick up some breakfast supplies and some snacks.